The combination of movement, learning, and social contact. You meet new people, even build friendships, and you truly feel welcome.
Patrick
Psychology student from Austria learns Dutch
Three years ago, I moved to Rotterdam to study Psychology. At first, I did not feel at home, mainly because I didn’t speak the language. I really wanted to stay in the Netherlands after my studies, and for that, I needed to learn to speak Dutch well. A friend told me about Walking and Talking and after some research I confirmed that it was a good place to practice speaking. Since my first time joining, I have gone every week, and it was exactly what I needed.
When I joined for the first time, I already spoke a bit of Dutch, about B1 level. But in other language courses, I especially missed practicing in real-life situations. Walking and Talking filled that gap perfectly. During the walks, you constantly speak Dutch with other participants and volunteers. In the beginning, I was a bit nervous, but after a few times it felt completely natural, and now I do not even have to translate in my head anymore. That was really a huge step forward!
What makes Walking and Talking extra special is the combination of movement, learning, and social contact. You meet new people, even build friendships, and you truly feel welcome. It is informal, fun and the atmosphere is always relaxed. I would definitely recommend it to other students, especially because it has such a big impact. I really hope more young people discover it, it not only helps with the language but also with truly feeling at home in the Netherlands.
